Posted!

Join the Conversation

Comments

Welcome to our new and improved comments, which are for subscribers only.
This is a test to see whether we can improve the experience for you.
You do not need a Facebook profile to participate.

You will need to register before adding a comment.
Typed comments will be lost if you are not logged in.

Please be polite.
It's OK to disagree with someone's ideas, but personal attacks, insults, threats, hate speech, advocating violence and other violations can result in a ban.
If you see comments in violation of our community guidelines, please report them.

Editor's note: This story has been updated from its original version. Mayor Greg Oravec wants to attract a major university, which can grant advanced degrees, to Port St. Lucie.

PORT ST. LUCIE — Mayor Greg Oravec has renewed city efforts to have an existing area universityexpanded or to lure a major university to open a campus here.

Oravec, who highlighted his hopes for more higher education in Port St. Lucie during his annual state-of-the-city address last month, said as the population of approximately 180,000 grows, so should degree options. The plan for a higher-education presence in Port St. Lucie dates back as early as 1995, according to city documents.

St. Lucie County already is home to Indian River State College, the University of Florida's Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences and Florida Atlantic University's Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institution, but none has a main campus in Port St. Lucie. FAU once had a branch campus here, but closed it in 2012 because of budget constraints.

While acknowledging the initiative could take years to achieve, the time is now to start planning and partnering with local agencies, he said.

"This is a heavy lift, which will require strategy, years of effort, all hands on deck and just the right circumstances...," Oravec said in an email. "My sense is that our pre-K-through-12 school system is currently our No. 1 priority, and, frankly, we can only attempt so many of these heavy lifts at one time. However, if you do not put the possibility out there, you can miss out on important opportunities."

While this renewed push is in its infancy, Oravec still is asking for public input, he said. For instance, he said, should Port St. Lucie attempt to recruit a major university or expand an existing one, such as Keiser University, which offers graduate degrees and is building a campus in Tradition? Both are options Oravec would like to explore, he said.

Representatives for Keiser University could not be reached for comment.

While St. Lucie County Commissioner Tod Mowery said he is willing to help Oravec achieve the educational goal, expanding an existing institution is likely the best route to take, he said.

"One thing we sometimes neglect to do is to clap and cheer and promote what we do have, sometimes forgetting the successes that we've had, and then finding ways to build upon them," Mowery said, noting 80 percent of growth a community typically sees stems from the expansion of existing businesses.